The Religion of the Samurai: A Study of Zen Philosophy and Discipline in China and JapanNukariya, Kaiten
Religion
The Religion of the Samurai: A Study of Zen Philosophy and Discipline in China and Japan
Nukariya, Kaiten
Buddhism -- China; Buddhism -- Japan; China -- Religion; Human beings -- Origin; Japan -- Religion; Zen Buddhism
"On a certain occasion Boku-den took a ferry to cross over the Yabase
in the province of Omi. There was among the passengers a Samurai,
tall and square-shouldered, apparently an experienced fencer. He
behaved rudely toward the fellow-passengers, and talked so much of
his own dexterity in the art that Boku-den, provoked by his brag,
broke silence. 'You seem, my friend, to practise the art in order to
conquer the enemy, but I do it in order not to be conquered,' said
Boku-den. 'O monk,' demanded the man, as Boku-den was clad like a
Zen monk, 'what school of swordsmanship do you belong to?' Well,
mine is the Conquering-enemy-without-fighting-school.' 'Don't tell a
fib, old monk. If you could conquer the enemy without fighting, what
then is your sword for?' 'My sword is not to kill, but to save,'
said Boku-den, making use of Zen phrases; 'my art is transmitted from
mind to mind.' 'Now then, come, monk,' challenged the man, 'let us
see, right at this moment, who is the victor, you or I.' The
gauntlet was picked up without hesitation. 'But we must not fight,'
said Boku-den, 'in the ferry, lest the passengers should be hurt.
Yonder a small island you see. There we shall decide the contest.'
To this proposal the man agreed, and the boat was pulled to that
island. No sooner had the boat reached the shore than the man jumped
over to the land, and cried: 'Come on, monk, quick, quick!'
Boku-den, however, slowly rising, said: 'Do not hasten to lose your
head. It is a rule of my school to prepare slowly for fighting,
keeping the soul in the abdomen.' So saying he snatched the oar from
the boatman and rowed the boat back to some distance, leaving the man
alone, who, stamping the ground madly, cried out: 'O, you fly, monk,
you coward. Come, old monk!' 'Now listen,' said Boku-den, 'this is
the secret art of the Conquering-enemy-without-fighting-school.
Beware that you do not forget it, nor tell it to anybody else.'
Thus, getting rid of the brawling fellow, Boku-den and his
fellow-passengers safely landed on the opposite shore."[FN#101] The
O Baku School of Zen was introduced by Yin Yuen (In-gen) who crossed
the sea in 1654, accompanied by many able disciples.[FN#102] The
Shogunate gave him a tract of land at Uji, near Kyo-to, and in 1659
he built there a monastery noted for its Chinese style of
architecture, now known as O-baku-san. The teachers of the same
school[FN#103] came one after another from China, and Zen[FN#104]
peculiar to them, flourished a short while.
[FN#101] Shi-seki-shu-ran.
[FN#102] In-gen (1654-1673) came over with Ta-Mei (Dai-bi, died
1673), Hwui Lin (E-rin died 1681), Tuh Chan (Doku-tan, died 1706),
and others. For the life of In-gen: see Zoku-ko-shu-den and
Kaku-shu-ko-yo.
[FN#103] Tsih Fei (Soku-hi died 1671), Muh Ngan (Moku-an died 1684),
Kao Tsuen (Ko-sen died 1695), the author of Fu-so-zen-rin-so-bo-den,
To-koku-ko-so-den, and Sen-un-shu, are best known.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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